Lake Country Power reported about 24,000 customers without power as of 10 a.m., from 350 outages. Crews are working and Lake Country Power has called in additional help from Lake States Construction. Among the hardest-hit areas is Duluth, where an estimated one-third of the city’s 65,000 customers are without power.
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Minnesota Power reported Friday that the damage to the power grid in Duluth was particularly severe, with a number of broken poles and fallen trees still obstructing access. Some customers who have damage to their electric service meter and mast will need to contact an electrical contractor for repairs before Minnesota Power can restore power to the residence.
The Ely Police Department reported that power was out in most of the area, and city crews were heading out to clean downed trees and debris.
A strong storm with destructive winds has knocked down trees and power lines in Minnesota.
As of 10 a.m., more than 70,000 customers were without power. Miller said that based on the damage he saw, winds probably gusted as high as 90 miles per hour.
The St. Louis County Assessor’s Office said it will tour damage near Duluth next week.
All the damage has agencies reminding people how to be safe.
In Beltrami County, crews were out clearing roads of debris as the sun rose Thursday. Sheriff’s officials and other emergency responders were working on evacuating the rest of the group from the wilderness area, Van Dreese said. Stay away yourself, and keep kids and pets away too.
“These guys rolled into town early afternoon and they are going to be hitting the streets of the city of Duluth helping to restore power as quickly as possible”, said Minnesota Power’s Daniel Gunderson.
“The hotter and more moist the air is near the surface, the more unstable the air becomes”. We’ll get power restored for every member and the extra crews will help, but this storm was extensive.
At its height, the storm system stretched from across the Canadian border in the north down to the southern Twin Cities metro area.
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You can check the outage map here.
